GOVERNANCE
The
Workforce Investment Board has a major role in linking and leveraging
federal funding and local community resources to enable job
seekers to be prepared for employment opportunities and to help
businesses find workers who will contribute to competitive strength
in a global economy. Below are answers to the following
questions:
What is the
structure of governance?
The
Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County (WIB) operates
under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The
Act superseded the earlier Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)
and was designed to enable greater flexibility in local decision-making
and mandate private-sector majority representation on state
and local boards.
Administered
by the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
and the State Employment Development Department/Workforce Investment
Division, the WIA calls for each state’s governor to appoint
a State Workforce Investment Board that includes a business
majority, plus representatives from labor organizations, educational
institutions and community organizations. The State WIB
helps to distribute federal funds to Local Workforce Investment
Area (LWIA) boards within the state. California has 49
LWIAs that mirror the composition of the California Workforce
Investment Board.
The
Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County is responsible
for WIA funding for programs and services within the County’s
boundaries. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is
designated as the Chief Elected Local Official and is responsible
for appointing members of the local WIB. The WIB consists
of more than 40 members who are from business, labor, education,
and the community and represent a cross-section of the county’s
five Supervisorial districts.
Funding
for the local WIB originates with the Department of Labor and
is distributed to the states. In the case of California,
funds come to the Employment Development Department, which uses
an elaborate set of formulas to apportion funding to each of
the local WIBs. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors
is the local fiscal agent, the recipient of funds to be administered
by the Ventura County WIB.
Once
accepted by the Board of Supervisors, WIA funds are put into
the budget of the County’s Human Services Agency for use
by the Ventura County WIB for operations and administration.
Apart from special grants that the WIB may receive from time
to time, the WIB’s regular budget consists of four separate
core grants, usually announced in May: Adult, Dislocated
Worker, Youth, and Rapid Response.
The
relationship between the WIB and the Board of Supervisors is
defined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This memorandum
delineates the respective roles and responsibilities of the
Board of Supervisors, the Workforce Investment Board, the Director
of the Human Services Agency, the Executive Director of the
WIB and the WIB administration staff.
The
Bylaws of the WIB specify the purpose and function of the WIB,
rules governing membership, officers and their election, committees,
meetings and quorums, conflict of interest, and amendments.
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What are the
WIB’s legal mandates?
The
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 ensures the full involvement
of business, labor, education, and community organizations and
designing and implementing the local workforce development system.
Each
state establishes both state and local workforce investment
boards. The California WIB helps the governor to develop
a five-year strategic plan that is submitted to the U.S. Secretary
of Labor. The plan outlines statewide workforce development
activities, explains how the requirements of WIA will be implemented,
and describes how special population groups will be served.
Details about how local employment service/job service/activities
fit into the new service delivery structure ad included.
The California WIB advises the governor on ways to develop the
statewide workforce investment system and a statewide labor
market information system. In addition, the California
WIB helps the governor to monitor statewide activities and report
outcomes to the U.S. Secretary of Labor.
In
partnership with local officials, WIBs are required to plan
and oversee the local system. Local plans, revised every
year, are submitted for the governor’s approval. Local
boards designate “One-Stop” operators (called Job
& Career Centers in Ventura County), identify providers
of training services, monitor system performance against established
performance measures, negotiate local performance measures with
the state board and the governor, and help develop the local
labor market system.
Youth
councils are established as a subgroups of the WIB to develop
parts of the local plan relating to youth, recommend providers
of youth services, and coordinate local Youth Services and initiatives.
Workforce
boards are responsible for identifying the appropriate issues
and establishing priorities for action (what work gets done),
while the WIB-contracted employment and training agencies and
providers are responsible for managing the activities to meet
these identified needs and priorities (how the work gets
done).
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How does the
WIB accomplish its work?
Because
the WIB is a public board, all proceedings are conducted in
compliance with the Brown Act, operate under approved Bylaws,
and function according to Roberts Rules of Order.
Each
WIB determines priorities and administers programs and services
based on WIA requirements and local needs. Different courses
of action may include, but are not limited to, the following:
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What is the
governance structure in California?
California's
Structure
What
is the governance structure in Ventura County?
Ventura
County's Structure
What
is the role of the One-Stops?
The
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 specifies three funding streams
to the states and local areas: adults, dislocated workers
and youth.
Most
services for adults and dislocated workers are provided through
the One-Stop system, and most participants use their individual
training accounts to determine which training programs and training
providers fit their needs.
The
Act authorizes “core” services (which are available
to all adults with no eligibility requirements) and
“intensive” services for unemployed individuals
who are not able to find jobs though core services alone.
In some cases, the intensive services also are available to
employed workers who need more help to find or keep a job.
While
the services for adults and dislocated workers may be the same,
there is a separate funding stream for dislocated workers.
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Who operates
the One-Stop system?
In
Ventura County the One-Stop system is operated by a consortium
that includes three partners: Business and Employment Services
Department of the County’s Human
Services Agency; the State’s Employment
Development Department; and the Ventura
County Superintendent of Schools Office.
This
consortium oversees, through individual Memoranda of Understanding,
a number of One-Stop partners: Candelaria
American Indian Council; Ventura
County Community College District; Commission
on Human Concerns; County
of Ventura Agency on Aging; Center
for Employment Training; Ventura
County Adult Education Programs (Conejo, Ojai, Oxnard, Simi
Valley, Ventura); City
of Oxnard Housing Authority; National
Association of the Hispanic Elderly; Ser-Jobs
for Progress, Inc.; Experience
Works, Inc.; Inland
Empire Job Corps; Department
of Rehabilitation.
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What services
are provided for adults?
Core
services include job search and placement assistance (including
career counseling); labor market information (which identifies
job vacancies; skills needed for in-demand jobs); and local,
regional and national employment trends), initial assessment
of skills and needs, information about available services and
some follow-up services to help participants keep their jobs
once they are placed.
Intensive
services include more comprehensive assessments, development
of individual employment plans, group and individual counseling,
case management and short-term pre-vocational services.
In
cases where qualified participants receive intensive services
and still are unable to find jobs, they may receive training
services that are directly linked to job opportunities in their
local area. These services may include occupational skills
training, on-the-job training, entrepreneurial training, skill
upgrading, job readiness training and adult education and literacy
activities in conjunction with other training.
If
adult funds are limited in an area, recipients of public assistance
and low-income clients are given priority for services.
The Act also authorizes the provision of supportive services
(e.g., transportation) to assist participants receiving the
other services and the provision of temporary income support
to enable participants to remain in training.
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What services
are provided for youth?
Eligible
youth are low-income, ages 14 through 21 (although up to five
percent who are not low-income may receive services if they
face certain barriers to school completion or employment).
Young participants must also face one or more of the following
challenges to successful workforce entry:
-
School dropout
-
Basic literacy
skills deficiency
-
Homeless, runaway,
or foster child
-
Pregnant or a parent
-
An offender
-
Need helps completing
an educational program or securing and holding a job
Youth
are prepared for postsecondary educational opportunities or
employment. Programs link academic and occupational learning.
Service providers have strong ties to employers. Programs
also include tutoring, study skills training and instruction
leading to completion of secondary school (including dropout
prevention); alternative school services; mentoring by appropriate
adults; paid and unpaid work experience (such as internships
and job shadowing0; occupational skills training; leadership
development; and appropriate supportive services. Youth
participants also receive guidance and counseling and follow-up
services for at least one year, as appropriate.
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